Paraffin solvent



Patented Dec. 5, 1944 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFFCE PARAFFIN SOLVENT William H. Ellinger, Smith, N. Mex.

No Drawing. Original application April 25, 1941, Serial No. 390,426, now Patent, No. 2,317,038, dated April 20, 1943. Divided and this application March 2, 1943, Serial No. 477,739

3 Claims.

' The present invention relates to a composition of matter and method for removing paraffin, and more particularly for removing parafiin from the tubing of an oil well or gas well.

It is an object of this invention, to provide a combination of water, kerosene, and bentonite, which may be applied to the well tubing to aid in the removal of paramn.

It is another object of this invention, to provide a particular method of inserting said composition into the tubing to cause the removal of the paraffin.

In the past, various paraflin solvents have been used such as kerosene, and other hydrocarbon The total amount of the material to be used in one well will of course be determined bythe amount of paraffin to be removed. However, the above named proportions should be followed in the preferred form of practicing the invention.

The hot water and kerosene both act upon the paraflin to soften the same and put it in a condition whereby it wil1 more readily intermix with the bentonite. It has been found that the parafiin so conditioned will combine with the active bentonite clay to form a particularly slick re- It has been found that the paramn in a well Water gallons 25 Bentonite pound.. 1 Kerosene -quart l The bentonite and kerosene are thoroughly mixed by agitation and the water is added in the well. i

In the preferred method of using the mixture of this invention, approximately 10 gallons of water which has been heated to 212 F. is forced into the tubing and then a mixture of /2 pound of bentonite and 1 pint of kerosene is forced into the tubing. Thesesteps are repeated, and thus an additional 10 gallons of hot water and another,

pound of bentonite and 1 pint of kerosene are placed in the tubing. The remaining 5 gallons of water may then be forced into the well and the mixture is permitted to remain in the tubing for approximately thirty minutes.

sultant mixture a portion of which coats the walls of the tubing and enables the paraffin to be more readily removed. By slick is meant the property of the bentonite in acting upon the parafiin to change it from a hard congealed mass to a removable condition which may be described as somewhat similar to the condition of ice cream which clings to the paddle of the home freezer or a cake batter, whereby the oily reaction product of .bentoniteand parafiin as distinguished from a solution has a sufficient body-like character that it can be removed completely because of its imparted' stability. After the bentonite has been thoroughly intermixed with the paraifin such as will result from the thirty minute period suggested above, the mixture is removed from the well by the pressure from within.

While it-is most desirable that the preferred method of applying the herein disclosed paraflin removing composition be followed, it is possible that variations therein may be made. to obtain certain of the new results of the present invention. The kerosene and bentonite alone could be used to soften the parafiln and intermix therewith to provide the slick lubricating mixture which permits ti 2 paraflin to be more easily removed. Furthe the heating step, which aids in making the pal aflin more readily availablefor intermixture win the kerosene and bentonite, could be used, omitting the kerosene. But each of these changes would necessitate a longer period of association between the parafii 1 and the hentonite and are not therefore .as useful as the preferred example of the invention.

Variations in the iuantities of the suggested ingredients nay be made, but it has been found that the abc 'e proportions are most suitable. If insuflicient be 'itonite is us'cd, the lubricating qualities of the resulting paraflin mixture are not as good as with the preferred quantity named above, thus the paraflin cannot be so easily removed.

It has been foundthat approximately 1 quart of This application is a division of my earlier application, Serial No. 390,426, filed April 25, 1941, which has now matured into Patent No.- 2,317,038, granted April 20, 1943.

Iclaim:

1. A composition of matter for removing par- 2. A composition of matter for removing paraflin from a tubing wall including the following ingredients in substantially the named proportions:

Water allons" Kerosene quart 1 Bentonite pound 1 3. A composition of matter for removing par-- aflin from a tubing well including the following ingredients in substantially the named proportions:

Water at 212 F gallons 25 afiin from a tubing wall including the following Kerosene "quart" 1 ingredients in substantially the named propor- 5 Bentomte pound 1 Hons: I v

Kerosene quart 1 WILLIAM H. ELLINGER.

Bentonite pound 1 

